Author's Note: I am going through a revisionist phase, I guess. Working on "No Orphans Live Here" made me look at some of my other pieces. I reworked this one, and tried to tone down the dire, melodrama. I don't like deleting the old versions entirely, so I have submitted this is a new story. I hope that it entertains someone. Perhaps, someday I'll write something new . . .

Rescued

Adam McFadden collapsed onto a pew in the front foyer of the old Winslow church. He could feel every muscle in his body - everything ached. He was exhausted. He was not a man unfamiliar with hard work, but the relentless pace of the last forty-eight hours had left him completely drained. He had never, ever been this tired. He'd been awake for . . .he couldn't even calculate how many days - since the phone had rung in the middle of the night, dragging them all out of bed, and ripping his wife from his arms.

He had had such a strange feeling of dread watching the small plane disappear into the rainy night with Hannah. He had wanted to run after it and call her back. He took a half-step forward to do just that, but the sound of his brothers' voice brought him back to reality. They eyed him with anxious pity and he understood that they were all worried about her. He knew Ben was a capable pilot, but he had a tremendous sense of foreboding. He didn't like that she was somewhere that he couldn't talk to her, or see her, or hear her low, gravely voice. He loved the sound of her voice - even when she was reading him the riot act - he was distracted by the sound of it. Now, he felt completely helpless; she was beyond his reach. He realized only then, that since the day they'd married they had hardly ever been apart and every time they had been it was because he had gone away. He was always the one leaving her, and she going off somewhere made him feel lost, and the fact that she lifted off in the stormy night to save others, only made it worse; she was somewhere unsafe, and out of his reach. A terror took hold of him then; his deepest fear right at the surface - that she would be gone from him forever. The fear lived inside him from the second that plane lifted off the ground until he finally held her in his arms again.

He had wept as she fell into his arms. Her body was icy cold - he could feel that even through the parka she wore. Her lips were icy and he did his best to wrap himself around her. The brothers came along too, after a bit; both Brian and Crane including themselves in the hug; holding their oldest brother and his wife up, as weak with relief and joy, neither seemed able to stand. They wrapped warming blankets around her, but even then she was already breaking free of their grasp, pulling him by the hand toward the plane. There was no time, really, for the two of them. She was already turning her focus to Ben and the others. "Adam," She said her voice like music. "You've got to help. I'm not sure he . . ." And he found himself dragged along. They had no real time together, except for those brief moments when he had first found her. It became apparent that the best thing would be to head to Winslow. It was the nearest place, and also the best place for a clear landing. They made a makeshift sledge to carry Ben, and distributed blankets and sweaters. It took hours to get to the old church, but even then, no rest or privacy was given to them.

"I know first aid." Hannah's voice echoed in the old church. "We can help you." And then she turned to Adam and his brothers. "Everyone needs to be hydrated and we should check for fever. We need to organize everyone. The sickest over here." She pointed to the space closest to the altar. "And then those who are better further back."

Brian, reached out and squeezed his arm.

"The heat's not on." Crane observed.

"It went out." A weak voice called from one of the cots. "I tried to get up and . . ."

"We'll take a look." Brian turned to Hannah, "That okay, Sis?"

"Yeah." Her voice was soft and she blushed shyly.

"Okay." Brian nodded. "You stay and help her. Come on, Crane."

He had wanted to wrap his arms around her then and never let go, but there were so many sick who needed help, and of course, she pitched right in. Without even a pause to breathe he found himself hard at work trying to care for the sick. He followed her directions without question, and worked steadily. He couldn't believe she was still standing. Even as he worked, he kept her always in his sight line, half-terrified that she would disappear or fall over from exhaustion. Pale and still dressed in her parka - no doubt still numb with cold, she bent over each cot, and did what she could. There seemed to be no end to her strength. She was not only infinitely kind, but stunningly beautiful. She seemed to posses an endless well of strength.

It was early the next dawn that the planes landed for the first time. Paramedics came then, and began to assess all that had been done. They began to take the sickest off the mountain first, and so things became even more chaotic and busy. There seemed to be no end to what needed to be done. He found himself moving robotically doing the same thing over and over and over. At some point, he'd bullied one of the paramedics to at least talk to her. No one had assessed her at all, and he was worried. She had been up for days, survived a crash, and freezing cold, and he was terrified that she would fall down suddenly and be lost to him forever. He kept working while the paramedic stood in front of her, one eye on their conversation. It didn't really make him feel any better.

"Take it easy, Rancher Man." She had said passing by him after the paramedic had left her. "There's a ton of people in worse shape than me."

"Yeah, but only one of 'em has my heart in their hand." He told her.

"I'm okay." She said. He would've reached out for her, but the lady he'd been helping began a horrifically frightening coughing fit, and she was already moving on to help someone else. That was it. That was the deepest conversation they'd had since they'd run to each other in the snow. Now, he was completely drained, and too exhausted to stand anymore. It was night again, and it didn't look like they'd be getting off the mountain until dawn.

Tilting his head and resting it on the back of the pew, he closed his eyes briefly. This was the first time he'd sat down, and he felt all of it: the physical and emotional exhaustion. She was still hard at work, but here he was collapsed on an uncomfortable wooden pew, too tired to rise. He would go back in a second. Everything was pretty much under control now. Most of the sick had been evacuated or returned to their homes. In the morning, the planes would return one last time for the last few patients, and to bring them down off the mountain and home. He knew he ought be checking on his brothers, and his wife, but he just wanted to sit - for just one second.

"I was wondering where you went." He opened his eyes to see Hannah standing in front of him. She had finally shed her parka. When he'd first found her, her body had been as cold as ice, and it had taken a long time to get the heat working in the church. Brian and Crane had rigged a makeshift generator. The little church finally began to warm up and people began shedding blankets and parkas. But Hannah had kept her coat on the longest. It had taken forever for her to get warm. He studied her, his eyes welling to see her in front of him; safe and alive.

"Everything ok?" He asked and she nodded, stepping closer and taking his hand. Her fingers were still cold and he rubbed his thumb back and forth over the back of her hand. "You should lie down and get some sleep, Girl."

"So should you." She said, her low voice tinged with exhaustion.

"Me? I'm a cowboy. We never rest." He grinned at her, and she smiled back, but his mind was distracted thinking of a plane lost on the side of a mountain. His brain kept drifting backwards to the endless hours of searching for her; of imaging a life without her. He felt himself drowning in emotions that he wasn't sure he could keep in check any longer. He rose suddenly, still holding tightly to her hand.

"Listen, you have to rest. I'll keep an eye on the few that are left. You go lie down and sleep, Baby. I'll see if we can get you a blanket."

"I'm okay, Adam." She told him, stepping closer. "I'm okay." She reached out and put a hand on his chest. He was incapable of speech then, and could only nod his head, as he choked on tears, swallowing them down. "Two paramedics came with the last plane and they stayed to help out. Everyone is taken care of. We can rest until the morning. Brian and Crane are already sacked out in the choir loft."

"Okay." He glanced around trying to find a spot for her to lie down. "Is there room in the loft still?"

"No, come on." She said pulling him by the hand. He followed her through the sanctuary which had once been filled completely with sick people, now there were only about four left. Many had returned to their homes, and some had been flown to a nearby hospital. One of the paramedics looked up, and seeing them walked over to them.

"I don't think we met." He said holding a hand out. "I'm John."

Adam shook his hand, "Adam McFadden."

"It's pretty amazing all that you managed here. I already told your brothers. Things could've been a lot worse, if you hadn't pitched in and helped."

"It's mostly her. She's the one who actually knew what to do." Adam nodded at Hannah who leaned against his side.

"You all did a great job." John told him. "You guys must be exhausted though. Me and Peter got the rest of this covered."

"Listen," Adam began. "She was in that plane, and was out in the cold for . . ."

"We know. We made her sit down, and Peter checked her vitals. Her core temperature is a little bit low, which is to be expected. She needs to rest and hydrate, and when you get home, take her into the doctor. Right now, I think sleep is probably what she needs most."

"I'm really okay." She told them both.

"Really? You know better than a paramedic?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Adam . . ." She shook her head. "I told you not to say anything to him." She told the paramedic. "He worries all the time."

"Well, he's not wrong." John pointed out. "I'd be worried, too if I were him. You need rest, and hydration. Did you finish that water we gave you? There's more over by that table." He pointed. "You two go get some rest. Don't worry about anything. You're brothers crashed out twenty minutes ago. I don't even know how you guys are still standing. We can keep an eye on everyone. You've done enough."

"I put some blankets back there." Peter said to Hannah. "We'll wake you in the morning. There'll be a plane here by then."